Consolation
by Lillie Flowers
Summary: Poor Booth gets bad news. Who is there to make him feel better?


Agent Seeley Booth usually took his partner out after they wrapped up a case. It was something they'd been doing for years now, but while Booth respected the tradition, he felt that something different was in order tonight. After all, it had been the whole team of "squints", as he almost affectionately called them, that had solved the case. Dr. Saroyan had suggested they all have dinner in the lab, something that did not appeal in the least to Booth. Not that he hadn't noticed how his friends had worked to make their workplace a bit more comfortable for him, but it was still the lab, a place where dead people were poked and prodded and removed of their flesh with bugs. No, the lab was not Booth's favorite place.

Except of course that Brennan was there.

Dr. Temperance Brennan was Booth's favorite person in the entire world, and he could tolerate any amount of bugs and bones if it meant being near her.

The six friends sat around the table on the platform above the lab, munching Chinese and all talking at once. Booth loved these moments. Five years ago, he never would have guessed that things would have turned out this way. Here he was, eating dinner in the Jeffersonian Institute with five of the most intelligent and talented people he'd ever known. As he glanced around at their faces, he couldn't help but think about the fact that they weren't just smart, they were kind. These were people who genuinely cared about him, and he felt oddly secure in their company.

"Booth?" his partner asked quietly, "Are you alright?"

He shook the thoughts off and smiled. "Yeah, Bones, I'm fine. Are you going to eat that?"

Before she could answer, he reached over and snatched her fortune cookie.

"Hey!" she laughed and reached to grab it back, and before he could pose to defend himself, his phone rang. He laughed and tossed her back her cookie, pulling his phone out of his jacket and flipping it open.

"Booth."

The others around the table stopped smiling the second Booth heard the voice on the line. Brennan's eyes were full of concern as she watched his face fall. She rested her hand on his arm and waited patiently. Booth looked around the table at his friends and then at Brennan, confusion written plainly across his features. With a stunned voice, he mumbled, "I'll be up there right away."

Brennan laid her other hand on his shoulder, and the entire team sat in silence. Booth hung up the phone and slid it into his pocket. He continued to stare at his partner, the news sinking in slowly.

"Booth…" she whispered, "what happened?"

He felt a slow ache building up in his chest. He silently stood and walked hurriedly away from the table. The friends sitting around the table knew better than to follow. They simply nodded to Dr. Brennan, encouraging her to stay with him.

"Booth!" She ran to catch up with him, as he was already rushing out the door.

"Booth! What's going on?"

He heard her words, and felt her tugging at his arms, but he felt too numb to reply. In a strange subconscious gesture, he laid his hand over hers as he walked, and she said nothing else. When they got to his car, he turned to face her.

"Bones," he whispered, taking a deep breath, "Pops had a stroke."

She sucked in her breath. "Is he alright?"

Still feeling stunned, he shook his head.

"He's dead."

She wrapped her arms around him immediately, and he distractedly leaned his head against the top of hers. She said something against his chest, but it was too muffled to make out. He pulled her away from him.

"What?"

"Oh," she wiped her eyes. "I said 'Would you like me to drive you down?'"

He shook his head.

"Just be here for me when I get back. Please."

Without another word, he climbed into his car and drove away.

It was a long day. Booth had been doing paperwork on murder victims for years, and yet nothing was as painful as filling out paperwork on his grandfather, dying of old age. It kept running through his head how he hadn't been able to watch over him, help him take the right pills. Did the retirement community watch him take his medicine? Booth's head spun just thinking about it.

He didn't get home until after eleven. Exhausted mentally and physically, he stumbled up to his apartment and fished out his key. He had thought about stopping by his partner's place, but it was so late, and he didn't want to bother her. He knew she had a lot of paperwork since they're case was finished. He had decided just going home would be best. He would see her in the morning.

Booth was more than surprised when the door slid open before he even got his key in the lock. Dr. Brennan stood behind it, a worried look on her face.

"Booth! I was really worried!" She slid her arms around him and pulled him into the apartment. He couldn't help but smile, despite everything.

"What are you doing here?"

She looked confused. "You told me to be here when you got back."

Booth held her tightly against him, so thankful to have such a wonderful friend. She pulled back enough to close the door behind them, and look up at his face.

"So what happened? Did-"

"Please, Bones," Booth cut her off, "I don't want to talk about it. I don't even want to think about it."

He sighed and stepped away from her, trying to shake off what he had just said. It was ridiculous.

"I don't see how I'll ever be able to not think about it."

He turned back to his partner and shook his head.

"Sorry. I know I'm not making any sense. I've just had this in my head all day and I wish, just for a second, I could think about something else."

There was a pause for a moment, and Booth could see the gears turning in her head. She looked around his apartment, as if asking permission somehow. Then she stepped forward and slid her arms around his neck. Booth felt a shiver run down his spine and the world seemed to be going in slow motion.

"I can help you," she whispered, and before he knew what was happening, he felt her lips against his. His world spun and he found himself pulling her tightly against his chest, soaking up her warmth and desperate to be as close to her as possible. Her taste was so familiar somehow, and more natural than he could have ever imagined. All was suddenly right with the world.

And then it was over. She let go and dropped back down from standing on tip-toe. She let her arms fall down to his chest, holding the front of his jacket and staring up at his face. He felt the world slowly come back into focus and the pain return. He stared down at his partner curiously.

"That wasn't exactly what I meant," he mumbled. He wasn't sure what to say. She let go of him and stepped back.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She started to turn away. "Are you hung-"

"Bones?" he interrupted, not willing to let this moment pass. She turned back and looked at him questioningly.

"Yes?"

He reached his hand behind her neck and pulled her up to him again, kissing her with all the love he felt in his heart. He felt her go slightly limp against him, and when he tried to pull back, he smiled at her resistance. Her arms tugged at his shoulders and he reached up to slide his fingers through her hair. She looked up at him with a smile on her face, and a look he had never seen before in her eyes. Despite how much he still hurt, Booth felt reassured…and loved. He leaned his forehead against hers and sighed.

"Thank you."


End file.
